Veteran Appreciation Thread

dodge man · Dec 7, 2023

Stolen honor Fatjay. Just embellish a little. You know the plane was being raked by machine gun fire when you lept to safety.

I agree with Jjeff, you were doing your job, nothing wrong with that. My dad shared a couple stories from his time in the navy about people getting killed in accidents. It’s dangerous business.

MossRoad · Dec 7, 2023

dodge man said:
Stolen honor Fatjay. Just embellish a little. You know the plane was being raked by machine gun fire when you lept to safety.

I agree with Jjeff, you were doing your job, nothing wrong with that. My dad shared a couple stories from his time in the navy about people getting killed in accidents. It’s dangerous business.

Agreed. My dad got hit by an out of control Army truck and his back was broken. Happened in Manila during WWII.

Alan W. · Dec 7, 2023

Grandfather was in the Pacific aboard the USS Halloran during WW II. Did a lot of sub chasing and got hit by a kamikaze. I remember him telling me how it took the top of the head off a machine gunner he was buds with. He saved a piece of the plane.

My uncle served in Nam. Not sure exactly what he did but do remember him getting wounded in a mortar attack.

Thanks to all that served.

Torvy · Dec 7, 2023

fatjay said:
Maybe, but any time someone hears about a disabled vet they expect some epic and heroic story. Not I fell off a plane. And then the question always follows up "was it in the air?" Then I have to explain that planes on the ground are about 15' up with landing gear down.

Don't feel bad. Dad said some guys in Viet Nam got the Purple Heart because they tripped and fell down the stairs when the base was attacked by mortars. Didn't even have shells land near them, just leaving building to get behind sandbag 'bunkers'.

Eagle1 · Dec 7, 2023

fatjay said:
Maybe, but any time someone hears about a disabled vet they expect some epic and heroic story. Not I fell off a plane. And then the question always follows up "was it in the air?" Then I have to explain that planes on the ground are about 15' up with landing gear down.

I had a friend that lost part of foot setting a Cargo container on it, not combat either. He later broke his leg by running himself over with his ATV. Not the brightest bulb but then again he was Navy

Thank you for your service

deserteagle71 · Dec 7, 2023

dodge man said:
My dad shared a couple stories from his time in the navy about people getting killed in accidents. It’s dangerous business.

When I was in country one of the standing jokes was that the most dangerous thing in Vietnam was a deuce-and-a-half driven by a Korean soldier.

sandman2234 · Dec 7, 2023

I joined the Navy to see the world, signed up right hear in Jax, went to bootcamp in Orlando, then "A" school at Corry Field in Pensacola and from there to the USS Lexington CVT-16 at NAS Pensacola. I did have to check into the ship at a foreign port, as it was TAD in the shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. (I continued living in P'cola, just drove back and forth). We did go to an Admiral retiring ceremony in New Orleans for a week, and Guantanamo for 30 days!
I am a Viet Nam era vet, but never had to go over there to help. I guess my contribution was to keep the guys who trained the pilots paid! I sat in an air conditioned office counting a lot of cash!
David from jax

jjeff · Dec 7, 2023

Eagle1 said:
I had a friend that lost part of foot setting a Cargo container on it, not combat either. He later broke his leg by running himself over with his ATV. Not the brightest bulb but then again he was Navy

Thank you for your service

Hey why knock the navy lol

Eagle1 · Dec 7, 2023

jjeff said:
Hey why knock the navy lol

Because I was USAF?

We used watch the Army in tents from our hotel rooms, when on TDY...

Hay Dude · Dec 7, 2023

Every day should be Veterans Day.
The very best of us. Some gave all.

Eagle1 · Dec 7, 2023

Hay Dude said:
Every day should be Veterans Day.
The very best of us.

Not sure about that for me, it's like HS reunion. I'm not the person I was back then and don't want to be reminded......
However EVERY vet deserves respect for their choice to serve.

jjeff · Dec 7, 2023

Eagle1 said:
Because I was USAF?

We used watch the Army in tents from our hotel rooms, when on TDY...

Air force also had the best chow hands down imo, I'd frequently go off base to a nearby AF base to eat. Meanwhile Our galley made a mre look delicious, for a period of time anyway.

Hay Dude · Dec 7, 2023

My brother served in the Chair Force

jjeff · Dec 7, 2023

Lol made me remember a line from a old cadence we sung "were not the coast guard they don't even work hard" apologize to all the coasties out there.

Semper Paratus · Dec 7, 2023

Dad was a WWII Army Infantry Officer. At 18, in Aug 1945 he was on a transport to the western Pacific heading for some staging area in support of the planned invasion of the Japanese homeland. The came a couple of bombs...and as they say the rest is history.
I was a Coast Guard Officer, in the 80's, and served on High Endurance Cutters well north of the Aleutian Chain and then commercial vessel safety. After 6 years I got out and started overhauling Navy CVN propulsion plants. Now retired and piddling about.

masscity · Dec 10, 2023

About the boats that ran the rivers in Viet Nam, my buddy was in the Coast Guard and they did the same thing as the Navy.

I posted earlier that I was in the USAF Oct 64-Dec 68. Michigan did a nice thing, gave us Viet Nam era vets $400 about 6 months after I got out. Came in handy big time, because I was broke.

I don't know what they gave to the ones who were in Viet Nam, but I'm sure it was much larger.

masscity · Dec 10, 2023

Desmond Doss - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There're many MOH recipients, but this guy was something else. They made a movie about him.

President Truman said when shaking his hand that he considered this a greater honor than being President.

MossRoad · Dec 10, 2023

masscity said:
Desmond Doss - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There're many MOH recipients, but this guy was something else. They made a movie about him.

President Truman said when shaking his hand that he considered this a wogreater honor than being President.

Wow! Read that citation.

deserteagle71 · Dec 10, 2023

masscity said:
About the boats that ran the rivers in Viet Nam, my buddy was in the Coast Guard and they did the same thing as the Navy.

I posted earlier that I was in the USAF Oct 64-Dec 68. Michigan did a nice thing, gave us Viet Nam era vets $400 about 6 months after I got out. Came in handy big time, because I was broke.

I don't know what they gave to the ones who were in Viet Nam, but I'm sure it was much larger.

Pennsylvania did something about as nice for Vietnam vets. They had a program wherein newly released vets were given preferential treatment in getting good-paying jobs; they contacted me shortly after I was discharged and I ended up with a job with the Postal Service.

But the best benefit - though I've yet to take advantage of it - of military service in Vietnam was that now I carry a VA medical card. I had to show proof I served in-country in Vietnam and drew "Hostile Fire Pay" to qualify for the card. But I won't have to worry about paying for medical care in my later years.